‘Cartoon Carnival’ Event Updates

Tom StathesPhoto by Joel Esquite

Now that the summer is upon us, I’m very excited and pleased to be bringing more ancient cartoons to the general public again. This month marks the beginning of a healthy season of early animation screenings. ‘Reel’ 16mm film enthusiasts will enjoy a resurgence of the infamous Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival shows and there will also be some very special digital events coming up as well. That said, you lucky New Yorkers are in for quite a treat this weekend in Brooklyn.

First, on Saturday at 8PM, we’ll kick off the 26th edition of the Cartoon Carnival. It will be happening at a cool storefront space called Shoestring Press, where local artists can attend classes, perform screen printing duties, among other things. The space doubles as an arts venue, and all art equipment will be rolled aside to allow the 16mm projector and rabid masses to enter for some rare cartoons on film. I’ve coined this edition “Wonderfully Weird,” as it will feature some rather bizarre head-scratching cartoons from the 1910s-1950s. As always, I like to keep Carnival show cartoon titles mostly secret until guests arrive and receive their programs. The stills on this post give a general hint.

Truth be told, it was actually a little bit of a challenge coming up with the set list for this one. In the world of ancient cartoons, we have a lot of really genuinely bizarre titles that will drop anyone’s jaw. To most people, though, a lot of the early cartoons are inherently strange no matter what, even if I or some of our more seasoned peers have become accustomed to their natural weirdness and don’t think twice about it. You can be the judge when you attend.

Check out Wonderfully Weird Cartoons at 663 Classon Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, this Saturday at 8PM. Join the Facebook event here too if you like!

But that’s not all, folks… mark your calendars for Sunday as well.

The lovely Brooklyn Heights Cinema will be showcasing more than an hour’s worth of material from the Stathes Archives. The focus will be on cartoons produced in New York, which properly reflects much of the earliest history of the animation industry, and it’s a theme that enchants local natives and newcomers alike. We’re just proud of our cartoon roots!

This time, I can hint at some of the titles, and a few of you may remember a bunch from a certain Turner Classic Movies broadcast way back in 2012. The screening will be comprised of DCPs made from rare 16mm and 35mm prints, and among others, will include the following:

The Artist’s Dream (1913) by J.R. Bray

Farmer Alfalfa Sees New York (1916) by Paul Terry at Bray Studios

Bobby Bumps Starts for School (1917) by Earl Hurd at Bray Studios

Mutt & Jeff in Fireman Save My Child (1919)

Felix the Cat in Felix Comes Back (1922) by Otto Messmer at Pat Sullivan Studio

Col. Heeza Liar, Detective (1923) by Vernon Stallings at Bray Studios

Koko the Clown in Trip to Mars (1924) by Max Fleischer

Krazy Kat in Scents and Nonsense (1926) by Bill Nolan

Come out and see the show at 7PM this Sunday at Brooklyn Heights Cinema, 70 Henry Street, Brooklyn. Advance tickets are available here, and also feel free to join the Facebook event page here as well.

See you at the shows, Cartoon Researchers, and say ‘hello’ if you attend!

About Tommy Stathes

Tommy Stathes is an animation historian specializing in silent era cartoons. He resides in New York and frequently holds public screenings throughout the city. You can read more about his work, his collection and his research on his website. (photo of Tommy by Louie Despres)